LOCAL BODIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 31 July 1914, Page 2

LOCAL BODIES.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. A deputation representing the Coun ties Conference waited on the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. 11. D. Bell) to-day to bring under the notice of the Government several recommendations made at the recent gathering of county representatives.

The president (Mr. A. E. Jull) headed the deputation. Mr. Jull said that the executive of the Counties Association had met the previous day and wished to bring what it had done under the notice of the Government. They regretted that the new Bill relating to local bodies' subsidies and grants had not yet been before them and they asked that as soon as copies were ready they should have them for consideration. The principle involved in Government assistance to local bodies should follow, they thought, the course of a direct contribution from the Consolidated Fund for the upkeep of the roads. Hon. Mr. Boll: Without regard to the to spend less on its roads than another, Mr. Jull :,aid that if a county needed to spend le-s on its roads htan'anothcr, it coubl st.'ikc a lower rate Mr. I! i : And receive a lower subsidy. Mr. -lull said that it was a fair proi ,al that the whole of the people who \vt. ■ receiving benefit from the maintenance of the roads should pay something ir. a general way.

Mr. Bell: There is no difference between you and nie there. Mr, Jull said that the present system cf grants was bad, and they thought that some sort of classification could he agreed upon. In a now system of grants counties which were most necessitous could form one class, and oth.-r classes could be formed according to the needs of the counties Another matter which- Mr. Jull mentioned was the Counties Association's epinion that the Railway Department should bear the liability of dangerous level crossings. They thought that the department should do at least what was required of private companies in other countries. The Association believed that the eo.i- j tinual subdivision of counties was no! j in t-ho tat '.uter.Csts of the country, f 1)-: j tendency, they thought, should he J rather in the direction of amalgamati; v. of local bodies and this cou'd be lavgel; induced by a better system of grants. Another matter was that they should have the county council elections in May. In reply, Mr. Bell said that with regard to subsidies the country was concerned as much as the locality in the work of that locality. They must take it that as long as he was in charge their view of the matter wouid be his. With regard to the Local Grmts and Subsidies Bill, he suggested that the association should appoint a small committee to confer with him on the measure. He. agreed with the views on amalgamation o! counties and local bodies, and onlv recently he had put his foot down on one subdivision. lie could not yet see eye to eye with the association in the abolition'of road boards, as there were so many difficulties in the way. He would give careful consideration to the other matters brought under his notice.